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Urban Neighbourhoods: Health and Wellbeing

The project will provide a rigorous mapping of spatial, social, economic and health parameters of two highly complex and diverse boroughs of London and compare them to similar neighbourhoods in other UK cities with a view to establish links between the built environment, demographic trends and the health and wellbeing of urban residents.

Urban Neighbourhoods: Health and Wellbeing is a research project designed to deepen and expand knowledge of the links between urban space and urban health.  The focus is to broaden the understanding of what constitutes the ‘built environment’ and how it can be broken down into distinct, measurable components - such as density, accessibility, connectivity, integration - which can be objectively tested against specific health outcomes.

The study will offer a preliminary categorisation of spatial characteristics that, in addition to the well-understood dynamics of social determinants of urban health, either enhance or exacerbate the quality and experience of everyday life in the inner-city. The ultimate objective of such a study is to assist policymakers in identifying spatial variations that can lead to concrete polices and spatial interventions which can make a difference to the health and wellbeing of existing and future residents of the London Boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth. 

The first phase of the project will develop a comparative ‘spatial compendium’, building on LSE Cities’ established methodology of mapping spatial and social indicators across a small sample of inner-city areas outside London that are comparable in size, spatial character and diversity to Southwark and Lambeth. 

 

Project Team

Project director
Ricky Burdett, Professor of Urban Studies, Director of LSE Cities

Spatial Analysis Coordinator and Researcher
Alexandra Gomes, Research Officer, LSE Cities

Project Coordinator and Researcher
Bethany Mickleburgh, Researcher, LSE Cities

Researcher
Astrid Walker-Stewart, Researcher, LSE Cities

Project Outputs

Paper

Gomes, A. and Burdett, R. (2024) Spatial and visual comparison analysis of health disparities in London neighbourhoods: the case of Southwark and Lambeth. Journal of Hospital Management and Health Policy

 
Project director
Ricky Burdett
 
Researchers
Alexandra Gomes; Bethany Mickleburgh
 
Project Partner
Impact on Urban Health
 
Duration
December 2020 - June 2021
 
Research strand
Cities, Space and Society